


Lost and Found Love

by anarchycox



Series: Anarchy's Collected Prompts of Three [2]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Found Family, Get together fic, M/M, Merlin POV, Pining, Post TSS, happy ever after, i turned into a puddle of goo writing this, no TGC, presumed dead Harry, soft fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 00:51:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20498174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anarchycox/pseuds/anarchycox
Summary: Merlin's world fell apart thanks to Richmond Valentine. His husband died, and the word was hurt. He is grieving, overwhelmed, and frustrated. But he is determined that Eggsy get a happy ever after.





	Lost and Found Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thenerdyindividual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenerdyindividual/gifts).

> the prompt for this fic was jamal/eggsy, turnips, hope

“Eggsy, you need to go to medical,” Merlin pressed.

“I’m fine,” he protested, and tried to get by Merlin. “Swear down, I can make it. I have to.”

“Eggsy, it is chaos out there,” Merlin tried to be gentle, he knew how close the lad was to breaking.

“Exactly why I have to go!” Eggsy tried to push him, but Merlin knew how to plant his feet and be immovable. “My mum, my sister who is a toddler. They are in that chaos and I need to know they are okay.”

“You are still running on adrenaline, how I don’t know, but you need to go to medical and sleep for about twelve hours.” He had already carried Roxy down who had fallen asleep on the plane, but Eggsy was fighting him, on sheer will alone. The lad had nothing else in him. “Forgive me,” Merlin said, and shot Eggsy with a sleeping dart. He thought he heard Eggsy whisper,  _ Jamal _ , before he completely sank under.

Merlin did a quick assessment of his staff, there were only three casualties, as most followed his order to lock up their cell phones before he had left. He took the bullet train back into London, and chaos did not even describe it. Roxy only worried about her uncle, and his vitals were strong in Berlin. But Eggsy had been worried. And after saving the world, the least he could do was relieve the lad’s mind. 

He was also running on pure adrenaline, and ignoring his husband’s death. He needed to focus. He jogged around the back of the shop and opened the delivery door. Hidden behind a false wall was a Ducati. Not his favourite motorcycle, but it would do the trick for now. He rode out, easily navigating around people and carnage, though a few spots were harrowing. He made it Eggsy’s council flat, and when a couple people looked hungrily at his motorcycle he pulled out the shotgun that had its own slot on the bike. “No,” was all he said, and everyone backed away. 

Merlin went up steps lightly, avoiding dead bodies as he went. There was crying and screaming and he ignored most of it. He was almost to the correct flat and there was Dean Baker coming along. Merlin was surprised he had managed to survive. Well, Eggsy saved the world without getting paid or ever going to receive recognition for it. Merlin walked past Dean, who ignored him, and once behind the man, turned and swiftly snapped his neck. Solved that problem.

“What the fuck?” a young man yelled.

Or not. Merlin held up the gun and looked at him. He knew the lad. “Jamal?”

“How do you know my name?”

“Are you fine?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I guess?” He kept his eyes on the gun. “You going to make me not fine?”

“No,” Merlin smiled a bit. The lad was attractive, sharp eyes. “Eggsy asked me to check on his mother and sister while he was with a doctor.”

“Is he okay? Haven’t seen him for months. Been worried bloody sick.”

“He is fine, and will come as soon as he is able.”

“I was going to check on Michelle and Dais, but ummm -” Jamal looked at him. “Fucking shame Dean died in whatever the fuck happened a few hours ago innit?”

“Indeed.” Merlin reached into his pocket, and pulled out a money clip with a couple thousand quid. “For whatever Michelle and Daisy need until Eggsy makes it home. And yourself as well.”

“For my silence?”

“I did that for Eggsy, is money needed to guarantee your silence?” Merlin watched Jamal swallow.

“No sir, not if it's for Eggsy.”

“Good lad,” Merlin said, and headed back downstairs, where his bike was waiting perfectly intact. He headed back to the shop to see about bringing his agents home.

*

“Hey, Merlin?”

“Arthur, Eggsy, you in part made me have the damn job you could call me by the title.” Merlin was typing away in his quartermaster office, refusing to move to the Arthur office. He was clearly guiding someone through a mission, cracking codes as the agent moved.

“Sure, Merlin,” Eggsy agreed.

Merlin had to laugh at that a bit. It was fair, he had largely ignored the role. He had been running the damn Kingsman just fine as quartermaster for the last few years, because Chester certainly hadn’t given a damn or when he did he was getting it all wrong and Merlin had to fix it. So really adding the title of Arthur hadn’t changed much, beyond who he had meetings with at MI-6. “What do you need Eggsy?”

“Found a couple things in Harry’s house. My house. Thought maybe I should ask you about them?” He sounded hesitant.

“Found Harry’s antique dildo collection?”

“Uh, no? Fuck my sister lives in that house, is that somewhere around?”

“It was a joke, Eggsy. He didn’t have an antique dildo collection. And his collection of sex toys was disposed with before you moved into the house, along with all his personal effects.”

“Mr. Pickle still there, Merlin.”

Because Merlin hated the thing. “Cleaners must have forgotten that.”

“This too?” Merlin looked over, and Eggsy was holding up a photo album. “Found it under a loose floor board.”

“Did you?” Merlin ignored Eggsy for a few moments to finish aiding the mission at hand. When it was done, he gave Eggsy his undivided attention. “Did you look through it?”

“Skimmed it a bit.” Eggsy bit his lip, and Merlin waited. “The first few? They remind me of me and Jamal goofing off.”

“Do they?”

“Photos change though.” Eggsy was hugging the album. “Change a lot.”

“Would you like such a change for you and Jamal?”

“Don’t matter if I do, he’s dating a nice bloke.”

“Harry was dating a nice bloke,” Merlin remembered.

“What’d you do?”

“Wished him well. All I ever wanted was for him to be happy. Then they were broken up, and I was comforting him, and eventually things changed.”

“Your wedding looked really nice, Merlin.”

“It was,” Merlin knew his smile was forced. It hurt to think about that day, but then he was hurting every day without Harry. He took the album when Eggsy offered it, and barely moved it out of the way in time as Eggsy dove into hug him. “Would you like me to investigate the man Jamal is dating? Make sure he is acceptable?”

“Please?”

“Of course, anything for you.” Merlin kissed the top of Eggsy’s head, but apparently Eggsy wasn’t ready to let go, so Merlin just began to type around him.

*

Merlin was particularly feeling the loss of Harry, and wearing the man’s beige cardigan as he read at home. He heard the door open and didn’t move. A couple people could come in at will, and once he could hear the footsteps, knew it was Eggsy. “Rough date?”

“No, it was fine,” Eggsy stripped off his jacket and tie and flopped next to Merlin. Merlin handed him the glass of whisky he had been sipping, and Eggsy downed half of it. “He was handsome and witty, and had a gorgeous arse, and he wasn’t Jamal.” He finished the glass and put it down. “Love is a kick in the teeth.”

“Harry did that once you know.”

“Kinky?”

“No he was drugged, tortured into attacking us, and I couldn’t fight back. It was him. Lost four teeth.”

“I’ve sparred with you in the gym, and sure I saw Kentucky and all, but you could have taken him.”

“Perhaps, but I couldn’t. I was ready to die, because I couldn’t hurt him. So he was kicking me in, and all I said was turnips, and he just froze, collapsed. Percival darted him and we began the withdrawal process. That was a goddamn nightmare, they had him so hopped up. He doesn’t even remember the incident.” Merlin paused. “Didn’t. It was better that way.”

They sat in silence for a bit, which Merlin knew Eggsy hated, so he put on the telly, to some sort of cryptid show that he knew Eggsy enjoyed. They watched, and Merlin shook his head in disbelief of the bullshit they were trying to sell.

“Okay, why would the goddamn word turnips break Harry out of his spell?”

“I love turnips.”

“Merlin, no one loves turnips.”

“To be sure, they taste disgusting, but my grandmother always told me, they meant love, an old Scottish belief because they were shaped like a heart. She cooked them every Sunday for my grandfather, to keep their love strong.”

“That’s sweet.” Merlin wrapped an arm around Eggsy.

“Aye, they were also broke as fuck and it was the only thing their brown thumbs could grow. Always enjoyed carving them on all hallow’s eve. I brought Harry home to meet my family, and Gran asked how he felt about turnips, and because he is a gentleman he ate them. He was quite confused when Gran started crying at dinner, and planning our wedding. When he proposed, the ring was in a basket of turnips.”

“Fucking hell, you made bloody turnips the most romantic shit I have ever heard. That is fucked up. Tell me there is more whisky.”

“Aye, and those ice cream sandwiches you like.”

“Brilliant.” 

Merlin kept watching the show and Eggsy returned with more booze and two ice creams. They ate and shared a whisky glass.

“Merlin?”

“Aye?”

“Do you believe in soulmates?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“No,” Merlin smiled. “Of course I do.”

“What happens if a bloke thinks he has a soulmate but is worried, maybe they’ll never actually be together?”

“He thanks god, or the universe, or whatever, that he was given a chance to love, no matter how much it hurts.”

“That where you at these days?”

“It is,” Merlin was the one to finish the whisky this time. “Staying in your room tonight?” Eggsy had Harry’s house with his mum and Daisy. Merlin had stayed there but never lived there, preferring his flat. And more and more Eggsy was crashing with him than at the house.

“Yeah, thanks Dad.” Eggsy had started doing that too, and Merlin didn’t mind.

“Of course. Watch your show about aliens.” Merlin went back to reading his book, while Eggsy yelled at the telly. Once Eggsy went to sleep, Merlin went online and sent a dozen roses to Jamal from a secret admirer.

*

“He has a secret admirer? Who the shit does that sort of stuff?” Eggsy was yelling in Merlin’s ear as he ran through the streets of St. Petersburg. “I call him, and ask if he wants to go see West Ham with me -”

“How dare you?” Merlin growled.

“Shut it, they are his favourite.”

“I forbid you to date this man.”

“Oh go Capulet it out your arse,” Eggsy snapped and Merlin watched him vault over a wall. “That play blows. They were set up by the friar to die.”

“An interesting premise that we will discuss another time. But I reserve the right to dress all your children with him in Arsenal clothes from the day they are born.” Merlin had already been researching adoption and surrogate companies. He was quite looking forward to being a granddad.

“There are going to be no children, because in case you missed it - secret admirer!” Eggsy made it to the car and they drove off. “I repeat, who does that sort of shit. He was swooning over some chocolates he got sent, and all trying to pretend like it wasn’t a big deal, when clearly he was sunk over it all.”

“He should like them for the price they cost, they were Harry’s favourites.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are his secret admirer Eggsy,” Merlin explained. He sent an alternate route to the driver, just to avoid any tails.

“Am I being darted at weird times, that I do not remember this?”

“Granted you did not know you were his secret admirer, but he was single and I decided to take a chance on your behalf. You have sent him a dozen roses, a case of Smithwicks, the chocolates, and in about an hour or so, a delivery of the current hottest trainers on the market that have a 6 month waiting list for them.”

“Bruv, I want those shoes too!”

“I could only use my contacts for one pair, who do you want to have them more?”

“Him,” Eggsy said immediately.

“I am paving the way for your happiness, Eggsy. It is time for you to drive that road.”

“What if it doesn’t work out, Dad?” Eggsy sighed. “And yeah, I called Merlin, Dad, deal with it.” Merlin knew he was talking to the driver. “And do not make it kinky. He fucking hacked paperwork to adopt me, nicest shit anyone has ever done for me.”

“You are a gift in my life, Eggsy. Now get your arse home, and take a gift to Jamal and tell him you love him, and want to have his babies.”

“Please tell me that is not something you are working on in your labs?”

“No, I am working on lasers, but I can shift our focus.”

“No, thanks.” Eggsy was quiet. “Dad, what if he laughs when it is me?”

“He won’t,” Merlin promised. “Come home, lad, and drive along the fresh paved road.”

*

“He laughed,” Eggsy was beating up the body bags in the gym. “So you know, fuck you.”

Roxy had called Merlin, worried about Eggsy and he had come running. “Explain.”

“Wore my best suit, went to him with a gift. Said hey, I’m your secret admirer, take this as proof of my love, and he fucking fell down laughing. So I laughed too, played like it was a joke. We drank a couple beers and played Call of Duty. I booked when he laughed again and said can you imagine?” 

Eggsy kept punching, and Merlin heard the tears in his throat. He approached carefully, pulled the lad in for a hug. “I am sorry.”

“Fuck you for making me believe in happy ever after. Look what happened to you and love.”

Merlin just kept hugging Eggsy. Ignored the pain of those words, because Eggsy would feel like shit later. He ignored the tears that fell against his shoulder as well, because Eggsy would hate them falling. Everyone else in the gym cleared out. “Want to spar?”

“Yeah, yeah that would be great.”

Merlin let Eggsy burn out his frustration, taking a few more hits than he usually would, until Eggsy wore himself down. They went to shower, and Merlin tucked Eggsy into one of the beds on the estate. He was going to hunt Jamal down and have a conversation with him. But it seemed he didn’t have to, Jamal was at the shop wanting Eggsy, and saying he wouldn’t leave until he talked to him.

Merlin took the bullet train in, and it was 90 minutes later and Jamal was just sitting there on the sofa, waiting. Merlin approached. “Hello, Jamal.”

“Oh fuck,” Jamal clearly wanted to panic, recognizing him almost a year later. “Fuck, fuck, where is Eggsy?”

“Resting.” Merlin stepped forward. “How are you doing?” the man looked like shit. Merlin almost felt bad for him, but he had been unknowingly breaking Eggsy heart, and Merlin was debating just how many bones to break.

“I thought he were joking,” Jamal said. “He came to my door, looking all posh with a basket of bloody turnips, and it had to be a prank, because I couldn’t get my hopes up, it weren’t, okay? It had be a joke. Because. He works here now, and I looked up your prices and fucking hell bruv, tell me the suits come with decent dick sucking because that is a lot of quid for fabric. But he looks like he belongs here, and don’t talk the same. I’m a bloody apprentice mechanic, in night classes. What the hell do I have to offer him?”

“Yourself?” Merlin asked kindly. “He brought you turnips?”

“Do you know what the fuck that was?” Jamal began to pace. “Like I found one post that was all old Scottish folk they are romantic or lucky or something, but he is not Scottish.”

“His great grandmother was,” Merlin said. 

“He doesn’t even know his family that far back.”

“His adopted family,” Merlin said. “Now, Jamal, you upset my son. And I rather dislike people upsetting him.”

“For a moment, I thought maybe, but things like that don’t work out for people like us. Well, not him anymore, guess just people like me.” Jamal’s shoulders slumped. “Can you just tell him I found a recipe for turnip pie?”

Merlin looked at his face. “Mechanic you say?”

“Yeah, I like rebuilding engines. Learned that...helping lost cars.”

“Hmmm,” Merlin nodded. “Come along then.” He went back to the change room, and Jamal followed. “Eggsy is having a nap, though I am sure by the time we reach him, he will be awake.” They stepped into a change room, and he was impressed when Jamal didn’t flinch when the floor began to sink.

“He talks about you a lot,” Jamal said. “You are his whole damn world.”

Merlin could hear the jealousy in his voice. “We found each other. A man who needed a decent father again, and a man who was grieving the loss of his husband and desperate for someone to care for.”

“He also said you are an Gunners fan. You like disappointment?”

“I’m Scottish, I’m used to it.” Merlin told Jamal about Kingsman, and yes he bragged about Eggsy saving the world, a father’s prerogative. They were approaching the estate. “We can always use mechanics.” They stepped off the train, and he took Jamal to the window to look down at the garage. “You’d see Eggsy a fair bit. Are you interested?”

Jamal plastered himself against the glass. “Mine?”

“If you like,” Merlin said. “I have to work. Up a floor, third bedroom on the right. Go on then. Break his heart again, they won’t have anyway to identify your corpse.”

“Understood, sir.” Jamal hurried away, a mix of terrified and determined.

When Eggsy requested a few days off, Merlin granted it and started on the paperwork for new support staff.

*

Este had finally drifted off in her sling against his chest. Eggsy and Jamal swore they had to play the sound of a mechanical keyboard at home when they wanted her to nap. She spent so much time with her grandfather, it was the most soothing sound in the world. He ghosted a finger over her thin hair that was just starting to curl. He had been doing an incredible amount of research on how to care for black hair. She made a noise and settled back in. Two months old and just perfection. Jamal’s sister had offered to surrogate for them, relieved that the two morons had clued in they have been in love for ten years. 

Eggsy was in New York, Jamal was attempting to fix the rocket launcher in a merc, and Merlin was happily babysitting as he worked on some coding. Being a grandfather was as fucking spectacular as he had expected.

He heard footsteps coming towards his office and paused typing to identify them. Este began to fuss, and he quickly resumed typing but his fingers were shaking. The footsteps entered his office and he did not look over.

“Harry, I swear, if you wake up Estelle, I will murder you,” Merlin whispered. 

“Your grandmother is here?” He could feel Harry looking for her.

Merlin slowly turned his chair around, a hand cupped around the sling. “Estelle Unwin, our granddaughter.” Harry was skinny, a great deal of grey in his hair and missing an eye. There was a cane being gripped tightly. “You are very late.”

“I was very in a coma. And very in rehab, and very confused when all my memories came rushing back at the taste of one dreadful American turnip.” Harry looked down. “We have a granddaughter?” He smiled a bit. “Eggsy.”

“Aye,” Merlin stood up. One hand on Este in the sling, and the free cup Harry’s cheek. “You always look dreadful with stubble.” Harry leaned into the touch, and Merlin made sure his tears didn’t fall on the baby. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Harry said. They stood there staring at each other, not moving. 

“Okay, got that fixed, now give me my girl, I need her - oh holy fuck that’s Harry fucking Hart.”

“Don’t curse in front of your daughter, Jamal.” Merlin didn’t take his eyes off of Harry.

“Nope, dead guy I get to curse, don’t care what bullshit you read on the internet old man about her development.” Jamal came over and poked him. “Okay, not a ghost. This really him?”

“He mentioned turnips.”

“You fuckers and turnips, swear down happy she isn’t named Turnip.” Jamal eased the sling off of Merlin, and put it on. “I’m going to call Eggsy, he’s going to book it home. Maybe you two should go to a private room?”

“I have a mission going live. A husband return from the dead after two years hardly warrants interrupting my job.”

“Yeah, no. Yeah it does,” Jamal gently steered them away from the computer. “I’ll call your assistant. You two go do old guy reunion kisses.”

“I like you,” Harry declared.

“He cheers for West Ham.”

“Eggsy will be divorcing you, and suing for custody.”

“Okay, sure you believe that,” Jamal kept pushing them out of the office. “Go be gooey in private.”

Merlin kissed Este and kissed Jamal’s head, more to annoy him than anything, and he had Harry slowly made their way to the room they had often used over the years. “Husband,” Merlin said. The word felt so rusty on his tongue. “Harry.” He pressed his forehead against Harry’s.

“I came as soon as I could.”

“I know.” Merlin kissed him gently. “Lie down with me?”

“I could use a nap, this has been rather draining.”

Merlin undressed him slowly and they crawled into bed, Merlin holding him gently. They drifted off and woke up a couple hours later, Eggsy feeding Este in the chair in the corner. He was happy crying as he stared at them.

Merlin smiled. “He remembered turnips.”

Eggsy gave a watery laugh. “Most romantic vegetable ever.”

Merlin kissed Harry’s head. “Aye. Come on then,” Merlin gestured and Eggsy climbed onto the bed with his daughter and lay her gently on Harry who in his sleep automatically wrapped a hand around her.

“Dad,” Eggsy took a picture.

“I know lad. I know.” Merlin took a few pictures of his own.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
